Homemade Pimenta Moida Recipe Portuguese Pimento Paste Food

PIMENTA MOIDA (PORTUGUESE RED PEPPER SAUCE)

Steps:

• Wash and stem the peppers. Remove seeds if you don't want the "heat".
• Place peppers and salt in a food processor and blend.
• Place the ground peppers in a medium saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and pour into a clean jar. Cool.
• When cool, top with a layer of olive oil, put lid on jar and refrigerate up to 3 months.

ROASTED PORTUGUESE PORK LOIN WITH HOMEMADE PIMENTA MOIDA

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, score the fat on the top of the roast in a crosshatch pattern, cutting just into the meat layer so the marinade can penetrate it. Place the roast in a baking pan and season on all sides with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pat the garlic all over the roast, then coat on all sides with the pimenta moida, rubbing the seasonings into the slits on the top of the roast. Sprinkle the cilantro all over the roast, then drizzle with 1/2 cup of the oil, and rub all the seasonings to evenly distribute. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Allow the roast to come to room temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Transfer the roast to a baking pan large enough to hold it and the potatoes in one layer. Drizzle some of the marinade juices over the top of the roast. Place the potatoes in the first pan and toss with the remaining marinade. Add the potatoes and marinade to the roast, arranging the potatoes around it; sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper, and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Roast the pork until lightly golden and the slits on top of the roast have opened up, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 140 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest at least 15 minutes before serving. (If the potatoes are not yet golden around the edges and cooked through, transfer the roast to a plate, then return the potatoes to the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes longer while the meat rests.) Carve the roast into thin slices and serve with the potatoes, drizzling any pan drippings over the pork.

PIMENTO MOIDA

Steps:

• Remove and discard the stems from the chiles, and deseed half. Coarsely chop the chiles. Place in a blender along with the salt, and process until it becomes a semi-smooth mixture -- still with some texture. Transfer to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the peppers soften a bit, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vinegar and water. Cool to room temperature, then transfer to clean jars with tight-fitting lids. Top with a bit of olive oil, if desired, then refrigerate the pepper sauce until ready to use; it will keep up to several months.

PORTUGUESE SWEET RED PEPPER PASTE (MASSA DE PIMENTãO)

Steps:

• Set a colander inside a large noncorrosive pan or dish with sides. (You may also use a wooden produce crate with narrow spaces between the slats found at a local produce market as a colander; you would be half-way to Portugal in your mind, at least.).
• Pour a 1-inch layer of salt into the colander to form the base. Some salt will seep out.).
• Place a layer of peppers, skin side up, on the salt, pressing the peppers into the salt. UNCURL EVEN THE SMALLEST PART OF THE PEPPER, otherwise mold will form.
• Cover with a 1/2-inch layer of salt and the remaining peppers, ending with another 1/2-inch layer of salt. Place a heavy dish or bowl on top to weight it down.
• Let stand for up to 5 days to allow the moisture to drain from the peppers. After the fourth day, the peppers should be thinner, about 1/4-inch or less. The salt will be damp and the amount of liquid draining will be barely a trickle.
• Shake off the excess salt and process the peppers briefly with either a hand-cranked grinder, food processor, or blender. The texture will not be smooth -- more like coarsely ground tomatoes.
• Fill the sterilized jars, leaving about an inch at the top. Pour olive oil over the top to a depth of 1/2 inch. Close the jar tightly and refrigerate.
• To use massa de pimentão, simply push aside the congealed olive oil with a spoon, remove what you need, replacing the oil and adding more, if necessary. Use sparingly.